Flexible track belts having track shoes circumferentially mounted about their periphery are usually composed of a cylindrical elastomer belt, or belts, having a central core or ply of reinforcing within the belts. Track shoes are attached transversely to these internally wire or cable reinforced belts at equally spaced intervals about their outer periphery by placing a keeper bar or plate on the inner periphery of the belt or belts and bolting or fastening an associated track shoe, located on the outer periphery, to the keeper bar so the belt is between the keeper bar and shoe. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 2,273,950 issued to Galanot et al.
When these belts are placed over a pneumatic supporting carcass the portions of the belt or belts between adjacent bars conform to the circular periphery of the carcass resulting in generally triangular shaped gaps under the leading and trailing edges of the attached shoes whose flat underside surfaces mount generally tangentially on the arcuate surface of the belt or belts, except to the extent the keeper bar distorts the belt under its shoe. A further example of a track belt is illustrated in this inventor's copending U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 93,033 filed Nov. 27, 1970 and entitled "Flexible Track Belts" now U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,394.
While these flexible track belts, when supported by a pneumatic carcass and preferably a radially reinforced carcass, provide increased traction, improved floation and resistance to puncture, the ingress of soil and rock under the leading and trailing edges of the track shoes and between the edges of adjacent shoes cause deterioration of the supporting elastomer belt in these areas.
Thus it is the principal object of this invention to provide a fully sealed track belt that prevents the ingress of soil and rock under and between its track shoes during articulation of the belt and its shoes and to thereby achieve improved service life and better overall performance.